Nokia CEO Stephen Elop reaffirms that first Windows Phones are coming this quarter

Ever since Microsoft and Nokia announced their "strategic partnership" that would see the Finnish phone manufacturer dumping its Symbian smartphones for Windows Phone ones, folks have been eager to know just when the first Nokia-branded Windows Phone handsets will see the light of day. Last month the official Nokia Twitter account said that the we'll see the company's first Windows Phone devices in Q4, aka this quarter, and now Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has confirmed that information. Speaking at a recent technology fair, Elop said that Nokia will unveil its first Windows Phone-based handset this quarter. An exact date wasn't mentioned, but Reuters expects the reveal to go down at Nokia World, which takes place at the end of October.

Elop also touched on the smartphone race as a whole, explaining that he thinks that there's room in the market for a third smartphone platform alongside Android and iOS. Shocker: he believes that that third platform could be Windows Phone. "Our belief is that there is a clear opportunity for an alternative ecosystem," Elop said.

Although we've been expecting the first Nokia-made Windows Phone in late 2011 for some time now, it's always good to get word from Elop himself that things are going smoothly and that we're still on track to see the fruits of Nokia and Microsoft's labor sometime this quarter. And just so you know, Nokia, even though this month has already brought the iPhone 4S and will likely also include the Nexus Prime/Ice Cream Sandwich, that doesn't mean that we wouldn't be happy to see your first Windows Phone before we roll into November, too. Just sayin'.

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